More (Better) Storage … Always a Good Thing

Monday, 28 December 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 58F (14C) / Lo 50F (10C)

I try very hard not to add more stuff to what we’re already toting around in the coach.  Why, then, would I want more storage?  Well, as many of you know, the center part of the closet where the sliding doors overlap is very difficult to get into.  Simply put — I was tired of having to pull everything out to get in there when I needed something and wanted some accessible storage.

The question, of course, was where to find that extra storage space.  Mui came up with the answer — though he might have regretted his suggestion when I jumped on it like a hungry mouse pounces on a chunk of cheese and he then had to deliver on it ;-)

I forgot to take a photo before Mui got started on the project, so this old photo
from 2010 will have to do.  Can you guess where the new cabinet is going to go?

His idea was to convert the empty space behind the bedroom TV into useable storage.  It was a mod other RVers had tackled, so we knew it was possible.  He took measurements and pondered the project at hand, asking for advice from a GWRVR friend who has considerable carpentry know-how.  Paul not only suggested a course of action, but generously loaned Mui a table saw and a compound miter saw.  It surely made Mui’s job a lot easier … thanks, Paul.

Having the right tools makes the cabinetry work much easier.

Mui’s done quite a few mods around the Phaeton.  But this one was a bit more challenging than most as he wanted to retrofit the frame to keep the existing viewing angle for TV watching from the bed.  After all, the TV is his ‘sleeping pill’ ;-)  I’ve learned over the years that ‘challenging’ is code for “leave me alone while I am working.”  Hence, not many photos to document the project … but I can show you the before and after.

Left: This is what Mui has to work with after the TV and the frame are removed.  What you
see is actually the ‘cleaned up’ version — it was a complete mess of jumbled cables.

Right: The extension to the existing frame gets secured to create a bigger box with useable space.

Et voila ... the project is completed … yes, that’s a new TV fitted into the original frame.
There is a piano hinge on one side to allow the door to swing open, and a 10-pound
latch on the opposite side to keep it closed.  With the cabinet painted and stained to
match the existing cabinetry, I put it to good use immediately.  I also add a couple of
collapsible storage bins under the cabinet to make better use of the space under the TV.

And that’s how I got some convenient storage space.  What did Mui get out of the project?  A new TV.  True, it’s a bit smaller than the one we removed, but the resolution is better.  And it’s not nearly as heavy as the old TV.  Less weight in the coach … well, that’s a good thing, too ;-)